World Test Championship: Players With Most Runs & Most Wickets

The first cycle of the World Test Championship(WTC) came to an end on 23rd June when New Zealand beat India in the Final at Ageas Bowl, Southampton. 

It was a two-year-long journey that had ups and downs for all the teams, especially when the pandemic halted the tournament. All the teams played at least four test series which came under the WTC in the last two years. 

Here is the list of batsmen who scored the most runs in the WTC: 

1) Marnus Labuschagne - Australia's top-order batter Marnus Labuschagne played 13 matches during the WTC in which he batted in 23 innings. He scored 1675 runs at an average of 72.82. Labuschagne hit five centuries and nine half-centuries in the championship. His highest score was 215. 

2) Joe Root - England Test captain Joe Root is the second on the list of leading run-scorers in WTC. Root amassed 1660 runs in 37 innings he batted in, at an average of 47.42. He scored three centuries and eight half-centuries with the highest score of 228. 

3) Steve Smith - One of Australia's best batter smashed 1341 runs in the 22 innings played in WTC. Smith averaged 63.85 in the championship with the highest score of 211. He hit four centuries and seven half-centuries. 

4) Ben Stokes - One of the most top-rated all-rounders in the world currently, Ben Stokes amassed 1334 runs in 32 innings he played in the WTC. Stokes averaged 46. He hit four centuries and six fifties with the highest score of 176. 

5) Ajinkya Rahane - Indian vice-captain finished with 1159 runs in 30 innings he played in WTC at an average of 42.92. Ajinkya Rahane's highest score was 115. Rahane hit three centuries and six half-centuries. 

List of bowlers with most wickets in WTC:

1) R Ashwin - Regarded as one of the best spinners in the world currently, R Ashwin scalped 71  wickets in the championship in just 26 innings. Ashwin took 71 wickets at an average of 20.33 and a strike rate of 46.4. He took four five-wicket hauls and his best figures were 7/145. 

2) Pat Cummins - One of the best bowlers in the world currently, Australia's Pat Cummins picked up 70 wickets in 14 matches he played in the WTC at an average of 21.02 and a strike rate of 47.2. His best figures read 5/28.

3) Stuart Broad - England's senior fast bowler Stuart Broad bowled in 32 innings in the WTC in which he took a total of 69 wickets and that too at an average of 20.08 and a strike rate of 43.4. Broad took two five-wicket hauls and one 10 wicket haul. His best figures read 6/31.

4) Tim Southee - New Zealand's Tim Southee bowled in 22 innings in the WTC in which he took 56 wickets. Southee averaged 20.82 and struck at a rate of 46.2. He took three five-wicket hauls with the best figures of 5/32.

5) Nathan Lyon - One of Australia's finest spinners, Nathan Lyon bowled in 27 innings in the WTC in which he took 56 wickets at an average of 31.37 and a strike rate of 67.5. He took four five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul. Lyon's best figures read 6/49.